Real Madrid's journey in the Champions League has suffered a heavy blow, with a 0-2 away defeat against Liverpool plunging the team into a massive crisis. This loss is not only about the scoreline but also marks the second consecutive defeat for Real Madrid in the Champions League, causing their ranking to slip to 24th, leaving their chances of qualifying on thin ice.
Kylian Mbappé, who was brought in by Real Madrid with significant investment this summer and was expected to be the key figure to change the game, has underperformed. In the match against Liverpool, Mbappé failed to demonstrate his expected abilities, falling into a state of depression. This has made him the target of criticism and significantly reduced the attacking power of Real Madrid.
According to Spain's "Diario Sport," since joining Real Madrid, Mbappé has struggled to integrate well into the team system. The match against Liverpool magnified his difficulties, as both his mental and physical states have reached their limits, making it challenging for him to perform at his best on the field. To change this situation, the Real Madrid management has decided to take action by changing coaches.
The news also suggests that Real Madrid plans to bring back Zinedine Zidane, the 52-year-old football legend who shares a special connection with Mbappé. Zidane was Mbappé's childhood idol and had a significant influence on his football development. During the process of Real Madrid signing Mbappé, Zidane played an important role as a communication bridge. When Mbappé made his debut at the Bernabéu, Zidane even temporarily served as the master of ceremonies, demonstrating his importance and expectations for Mbappé.
Mbappé's subpar performance at Real Madrid is largely due to the mismatch between his technical characteristics and coach Carlo Ancelotti's tactical system. Ancelotti, despite his extensive coaching experience, has yet to find effective ways to utilize Mbappé. Given this, Real Madrid, after careful consideration and recognizing the importance of Mbappé to the club's future, ultimately chose to dismiss Ancelotti and bring back Zidane.
Looking back at history, Zidane has had a glorious coaching career. When Benzema was in a slump at Real Madrid, Zidane helped him out of the predicament through meticulous tactical arrangements and in-depth player development, leading Benzema to win the Ballon d'Or in 2022. Real Madrid hopes that Zidane's return will replicate this success, activate Mbappé, and make this French football superstar the new leader of the team.
However, changing coaches is not a panacea, and Real Madrid will inevitably go through a period of turmoil. After taking over, Zidane faces many challenges. The first is how to adjust the tactical system to accommodate Mbappé's characteristics, allowing him to fully exploit his speed, shooting, and other advantages on the field. At the same time, he must coordinate the cooperation between other players and Mbappé to avoid tactical confusion or conflicts among players.
For Mbappé, Zidane's arrival presents a new opportunity. He needs to quickly adjust his mentality, put down past burdens, actively communicate with Zidane, understand and adapt to the new tactical requirements. Only then can he possibly rediscover his brilliance on the field, lead Real Madrid out of the predicament, and achieve better results in the Champions League.
But the future is full of uncertainties. Whether Zidane can successfully activate Mbappé and whether Real Madrid can get back on track under the new coach are still unknowns. The entire football world is watching the subsequent development of Real Madrid, seeing how this La Liga giant will rise again in this transformation.